I picked mulberries on Sunday and made jelly tonight. Last year someone dropped about three garbage bags of carambolas on my doorstep and I tried two different jelly recipes and both refused to set. This led to my husband teasing me for a whole year about my inability to make a proper jelly.

Which is, of course, utter crap. I make great strawberry jelly when they're in season. I've done orange marmalade, pickled green tomatoes, dill pickles and several varieties of chutney. My work in the kitchen (presentation aside) is usually specially delicious. I've only had two batches of jelly fail, and that was the two batches of carambola. Both recipes came from the same county extension office pamphlet, too. And I didn't like the mango bread recipe out of it, either.

Tonight I was able to recapture the crown. Eight little jars of clear, brilliant purple mulberry jelly. And when I washed the pot, there was a tasty residue of JELLY, not juice on the sides and bottom.

So there. I am so the queen of the kitchen. You may touch the hem of my apron. Thank you.